One of Scotland’s best-performing state schools is at the centre of a campaign to change its name because its founder made his fortune from tobacco, a product of the slave trade.
James Gillespie, a wealthy tobacco merchant in 18th-century Edinburgh, decreed that a quarter of his fortune should be used to found a school for underprivileged children on his death.
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Since opening in Marchmont in 1803, James Gillespie’s High School has been attended by the comedian Ronnie Corbett, the actor Alastair Sim and the novelist Dame Muriel Spark, who based The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie on her experiences there.
School founder’s links to the slave trade
However, there are calls for the school to be renamed because Gillespie, who died in 1797, made his fortune from Virginia tobacco. A petition of almost 600 signatures states: “This makes [Gillespie] a direct contributor and benefactor of the slave trade. It is possible that Gillespie may have owned slaves himself. It is time that we change the name of our school to something that truly values the diversity that exists within it.”
The petition adds that the school’s main building is named after Malala Yousafzai, the young activist awarded a Nobel prize for education campaigning and suggests that such a “truly inspiring woman” represents the school’s values “far better than Gillespie”.
The website of James Gillespie’s Primary School says: “We acknowledge the connections to the North Virginia slave-owning tobacco plantations... we are updating our curriculum to take more account of this history and of the Black Lives Matter movement. It is important children understand the role our country and other countries played in slavery. Our school vision, values and aims mean that children learn about human rights and the importance of treating everyone with respect. We do not tolerate racism and have clear procedures for dealing with racism where it occurs.”
Nick Cook, a Tory councillor in the city, said that “a plaque, educational materials and teaching would be a better way to make clear how abhorrent slavery was and remains”.
City of Edinburgh Council said: “We are reviewing a number of features in the capital which commemorate those with close links to slavery and colonialism.”
The move to rename Gillespie’s follows the decision by the University of Edinburgh to rename one of its buildings commemorating 18th-century philosopher David Hume over the his “comments on matters of race”.
